1998 Subaru Forester Problems, Recalls & Reliability
138 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Subaru Forester, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1998 Subaru Forester has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1998 sits among all Forester years
What owners report
“After owning the forester just 3 months, the windshield had three chips in it which then spread into a crack across the driver's viewing area. After only 21,000 miles the clutch disc/plate had to be replaced and was not a warranty matter. After 42,000 miles a bearing in the rear axle has gone bad…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Forester
Recalls (1)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). (THE 1999 2.2 LITER LEGACY VEHICLES ARE EXCLUDED). IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE IS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Subaru Forester reliable?
The 1998 Subaru Forester drew 138 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 1998 Subaru Forester problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Subaru Forester are transmission & drivetrain (28 complaints), suspension (18), and brakes & stability (17).
Does the 1998 Subaru Forester have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 1998 Subaru Forester. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.